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Te Puna are second with 21 points and cannot finish outside the top four, however a win will go a long way towards ensuring they play their semifinal at home.

After that is where it gets really interesting.

Mathematically, depending on results this weekend, Tauranga Sports (20 points), Mount Maunganui (15), Whakarewarewa (15), Greerton (12) and Rangataua (10) could all claim one of the last two semifinal spots.

Tauranga's fate is in their own hands - win and they are through.

The others will need to win, preferably with a four-try bonus point, and then rely on other results going their way. It could well come down to points differential.

Fifth-placed Whakarewarewa will have to bounce back from last weekend's loss to Te Puna when they travel to third-placed Tauranga Sports.

When they met in round one, Whakarewarewa stole a last gasp 30-29 victory.

Coach Boxer Smith said it was a strange situation, knowing his side had to rely on other results, but all they could do was throw everything at achieving a bonus point win.

"It's a hard situation, I think it could end up being a three-way tie and come down to mathematical equations. The boys just have to go out there and do everything we can first, get the bonus point win and deny them a point.

"There is pressure, but at the same time it's exciting. There are teams that their season is over, but we still have a chance of getting in the playoffs. We can't hold anything back, we have to attack as much as we can to pile the points on, then obviously defend well to stop them getting four tries or within seven points of us."

Tauranga Sports coach Euan Mackintosh wanted his side to focus on the game and not over think what is happening on the table.

"We just have to get a win and that's as simple as it gets. In these situations we can start thinking too much about the table and points and how different things can happen - at the end of the day if we go out there and focus on the simple things and improving on last week's performance, that's our attitude.

"We've had some up and down results this whole season. It's been a theme throughout the year that when we've been able to execute our game plan and play to our potential, we've been able to put points on anybody. As soon as we let small individual errors build up, that's when we struggle.

"We expect [Whakarewarewa] to come out absolutely flying, it's going to be an interesting one. To give themselves the best chance of qualifying they'll be looking for five points, so they're going to put everything on the line early, I would say."

Meanwhile, for last year's beaten grand finalists Rotoiti, this season has been a case of what could have been.

They showed great promise early on in the season, but were ravaged by a cruel run of injuries which prevented them building on that momentum.

They are bottom of the table with six points and will be playing for pride this weekend against Te Puna.

If they can get a bonus point win over Te Puna and Rangataua lose to Mount Maunganui without a bonus point, Rotoiti can at least climb off the bottom of the table and finish seventh.